MICHELA BRUNO / CV

I was born in Rome in 1978.

In 1997, I moved to Milan, where in 2000 I graduated in Graphic Design from Accademia di Comunicazione. While studying there, I earned a commendation in the 1999 British D&D Students’ Annual for my exhibit design on David Bailey’s retrospective and I had two posters exhibited at the 2000 Poster Triennial in Trnava, Slovakia.

Following my dream of working in motion graphics for film, I began working for Artech Video Record, Italy’s major DVD production  company at the time, immediately after completing my studies. There, I designed DVD menus and quickly became one of the company’s leading motion designers, thanks to my passion for film titles and my proactive, problem-solving approach with colleagues and clients.

Eager to further develop my skills, in 2003 I joined the recently founded Proxima Milano, which would soon become one Milan’s top motion graphics and VFX studios. There, I worked mainly on commercials, promos and identities, not only as a motion designer, but also as a compositor and editor, for clients such as Mtv, Sky, Nickelodeon, Publicis, Ogilvy, Mother, Armando Testa, Fiat, Nestlé, Geox, HP, Danone, Telecom Italia, Hyundai, DeAgostini and Rolling Stone Magazine.

My extensive knowledge of software and design, combined with a keen eye for detail and typography, enabled me to quickly come up with ideas, design storyboards and animate graphics, even under pressure and while multitasking, maintaining a high design standard and precision.

In 2011, wishing to embrace new challenges and opportunities, I moved with my family to London. There, I began working as a freelance motion designer for clients such as MPC, DNEG, TFL, Drunk Elephant, SC Johnson, Fendi, Debenhams, Erno Laszlo, Penguin Press, The National Trust and Angelini Ventures.

Being self-employed allowed me the flexibility to look after my daughter while also choosing projects I truly believed in. I favoured artistic and unconventional briefs that stimulated my creativity, allowed me to experiment with different styles and techniques and inspired me to find solutions that produced unexpected results.

In 2024, Carolina Melis’ film S’Ozzastru, for which I animated the titles, won the Collision Silver Award for Title Sequence.

Alongside my motion design career, I have continuously pursued graphic design projects. I have designed books, posters and packaging, with a particular emphasis on branding, for clients such as Clover House Chocolate, Pink Monk and Chickenshed Theatre.

My design work is often enriched by my illustration skills and by other hand-crafted techniques such as watercolour, punch needle, weaving and lino printing. Being able to confidently use a variety of analogue and digital tools allows me to develop ideas without limitations and to find the most expressive style for each project.

In 2024, the children’s book La Rana e La Luna, which I wrote and illustrated, was published in Italy by Edizioni Leima.

At the same time, I have been playing an active role in my local community. I volunteer at Chickenshed Theatre in the marketing, set and costume department and as front of house. I am also a governor and designer at Grange Park Primary School, a PTA committee trustee and designer at Wren Academy Enfield, and an environmental activist and designer at Culture Unstained and Fossil Free UK.

Inclusion, collaboration and respect are values I deeply care about and that, along with curiosity, honesty and kindness, guide me in my work as well as in life.